Informational Interview Report: Speech-Language Pathologist
[Thanks to AJ for sharing her informational interview with a speech-language pathologist.]
My current career goal is to become a speech-language pathologist (SLP). I interviewed a speech pathologist who lives in the Midwest. I know this person because she is a family friend’s friend. I conducted my interview through Skype.
My main goal for this interview was to get as much information as I can about my career path to help me succeed.
With her permission, I recorded the interview.
How did you get into this career?
Some friends from university who studied child development (bachelor’s degree) with me got their master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology. I took some pre-reqs and found a liking so I decided to try it out and get my master’s in it since I already had a bachelor’s degree in child development.
What do you do at work on a typical day? What are your responsibilities?
Every morning my assistant (whose also an SLP) and I visit an elementary school, and we mostly work with students whose English isn’t their first language.
We give the assessment and then compare them to the standard milestones of a child their age. Typically, we work with kids who are from ages 5-7 and then sometimes with kids who are older.
What advice do you have for someone preparing for a career in this field?
My advice is to make sure you have a good GPA because schools look at that a lot.
And take your GRE right after you graduate because your mind is still fresh from all the knowledge you gained in school. Also start studying for it during your junior year, and take it once during your senior year and see how you do. If you don’t do well, then keep studying for it, and take it again after you graduate.
What majors and/or minors do you recommend for someone interested in this field?
Child development helped me a lot, so there’s that. Psychology, nursing, sociology, ASL, biology, basically anything that can help you understand the human being and what relates to it. Even music is great because you can always help a client with their intonation and the amount of stress they put into their voice.
What courses and/or advanced degree(s) would be helpful for me?
Since you’re studying to get your bachelors, that helps you a lot, and it’s a good thing because you can work to get some experience.
Getting your master’s will be shorter, about two years. For me it was three-and-a-half because I had to start from the bottom.
I don’t think you should stop at getting your master’s; try to aim for a PhD. There are very few people who don’t continue their education after getting their master’s.
What experience is necessary to enter this field?
I had to volunteer at my school’s clinic to get some experience, and to show that I am committed to this field, before I applied for my master’s.
If you’re bilingual, especially in Spanish, that is a major plus! Schools like diversity.
There were a lot of scholarships out there that I applied for which was great. No one wants to pay for school.
What do you like most/least about your job?
My aim is always to help people, especially children, which is why I studied child development. I love waking up and going to work to see my clients meet a goal. I celebrate with each goal they achieve, and it’s a wonderful feeling for them and me. Helping them communicate is a skill that helps them their whole entire life.
When I first began my clinicals, there were a couple of kids whose self esteem were really low. It hurt me seeing them like that, and I wanted to just give them a hug and tell them that it’s going to be okay, but I had to hold myself back and be strong. It’s definitely hard seeing kids like that, and the best way you can boost their self-confidence is by helping them to communicate better.
How did you get into this industry? What other organizations have you worked for?
I used to work at a private clinic for some time and then decided that I wanted to start my own business with my husband. My husband has a lot of experience with businesses. He owned a couple of businesses while I was in school and then sold them once we began to start this business.
What is unique to your industry, organization, or office?
What I love about having my own business is I can choose how I want my schedule to look like. My husband and I can have the same vacation time which is great. I have time to spend with my sons and giving them my attention and care. It’s wonderful!
What is your work environment like? What do you like most and least about the work you do?
Like I said before, we visit schools and help children there. Before, when I first began the business, I had clients come to my house or I would go to theirs. Slowly we starting receiving requests from schools and it was a great opportunity to expand the business.
How does your organization fill job openings? Is it typical of other organizations in your field?
I can never keep an SLP for more than a couple of years because they usually leave to get experience somewhere else like a hospital, or I’ve had a couple who wanted to leave to start their own business, which I don’t really mind. I have my contracts so I don’t lose any business.
Are there other organizations in this field that I might explore for opportunities?
I would definitely try to attend the ASHA conventions and meet tons of SLPs and get insight from them. There’s always new research going on and getting into research looks good on your resume so I definitely suggest that.
What is the economic forecast for this industry?
You can live a comfortable life in my state as an SLP. California is an expensive state to live in so I’m sure you need assistance from a partner especially if you want a family.
It’s a demanding job so it pays well also. The more education and experience you have, the more money you make, especially with experience if you compare it with education.
Which professional publications, organizations and other resources do you consider relevant?
My interviewee said none for this question. She does read articles often and visits the ASHA website, but that’s about it.
What are the employment prospects for someone entering this field?
When you become a licensed SLP, there’s always a place that wants you to work for them. You can never be without a job in this field.
What is the growth and promotion potential in your field?
It’s very demanding and you can never have enough, especially since there’s a high rise of autism, heart attacks and strokes in America.
Currently, how secure are positions in your field?
It’s very secure; you’ll never have a problem with acquiring a job.
What areas are growing or changing in this field?
Autism. There’s a lot of research going into that and how we can help people with it. It’s a spectrum so there are a variety of aspects to learn from. There are always new assessments being improved also.
What is a typical starting salary in this field?
Every state is different, but here it typically starts from about $70,000 I would say.
How do salaries in your field compare with those of other fields?
Anyone who’s an Audiologist, which is a related field, makes good money also. But they require having a PhD to become a licensed audiologist. Like I said before, the more experience someone has, the more money they make. It can go up to more than a $100,000 a year.
Can you recommend other professionals in this field with whom I should speak? May I use your name when I contact them?
I would suggest talking to SLPs in your community or city where you live.
Talking to your advisors and professors from school helps a lot also because they have experienced the same thing as you.
I also recommend having an open mind about moving to another city if possible; getting into a program isn’t easy and other states have easier programs getting into compared to the ones in California, so just have that as a plan B or C. It’s great to have a back-up plan.
Yes, of course, you can use my name, but I don’t think I’m known to a lot of other SLPs in California.
May I contact you again if I have further questions?
Yeah, of course. Anytime!
Reflection
I didn’t know that speech pathology assistants can’t practice everywhere. I also didn’t know that some states don’t require a master’s degree to become an SLP.
This was very helpful information I learned because if I don’t get into a master’s program, I can temporary move to one of those states that don’t require a master’s degree to practice as an SLP. Gaining enough experience gives me an advantage; therefore, if I apply to a master’s program, it’ll be easier to get accepted.
There was definitely a little of both positive and negative aspects from the interview. It was positive because this is still a new field and I can easily get a job in the future, but it was also negative because there aren’t that many SLP master’s programs, and it is very competitive to get into.
If I could do the interview again, I would ask her more questions about her speech pathology business and how difficult it is to run it.
I would also ask her about her worst experience with a client and how she dealt with it. This would’ve been helpful if I wanted to start my own business in the future.
Right after the informational interview, I sent her a long text message thanking her for the interview.